Cheesy Pesto Bread

 

When I was younger I used to collect those small magazines that they always kept in the grocery store around the tils.  They were usually put out by companies like Pillsbury and Betty Crocker.  I still have a lot of them, and every once in a while I will revisit them and see a recipe I wouldn't mind trying.

 

 Of course because I live in the UK and don't have access to a lot of the products used, I end up having to adapt them to what I do have and make these things from scratch, but that's okay. I don't mind.

 

They've only just started getting cake mixes over here.  There is Vanilla, Coffee, Carrot, Lemon and Devil's Food.  In all truth I would rather bake a cake from scratch though.  There always seems to be a bit of an artificial flavour to cake mix cakes.

 

I don't like buying store bought cakes either.  They are always dry.   Homemade cakes is the way to go.  But this is neither cake, nor store bought.  It is bread.  Cheesy Pesto Bread.

 

Adapted from a recipe I found in one of those little recipe magazines, entitled Picnics, by Betty Crocker, published in 1999.  They are recipes for picnics and camping.  I am doing neither of those, but I do have an oven which I thought would bake this tasty bread in perfectly.

 

The original recipe called for a French Loaf.  I used an olive ciabatta loaf, or slipper bread.  I thought it might end up tasting a bit like pizza . . . what with the sun dried tomato pesto and the mozzarella cheese.  If I make it again, and I think I will, I am going to add some cheddar and maybe some chopped ham, bacon or pepperoni.  Now, that would be excellent!

  

*Cheesy Pesto Bread*

Serves 6

Printable Recipe 

 

This is a complete doddle.  It almost tastes like pizza.  I expect if you added some pepperoni to the cheese, it would! 

1 1/2 pound olive ciabatta loaf, unsliced

165g sundried tomato pesto (3/4 cup)

115g grated mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup) 

 

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.  Have ready a large sheet of aluminium foil which you have sprayed with low fat non-stick cooking spray. Place it on a large baking sheet.   

Cut the bread diagonally into 1/2 inch slices, cutting almost all the way through, but leaving intact on the bottom.  Lift the loaf onto the centre of the aluminium foil. Spread both sides of the slices of bread with the pesto.  Sprinkle with the cheese.  Wrap in the foil to cover.  I try to leave as much space around the bread as possible. 

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bread is crusty.  Cut into slices to serve.

Just look at that ooze.  This would go great with pasta or for snacking on while you watch the football match, or hockey play-offs!  Or even for a teenagers party.  Quick and simple to make and quite delicious. Bon Appetit!